Workers from FairPoint Communications have approved a new contract that will put them back to work Wednesday, ending a 4-month strike, unions announced Sunday.

"This is great news for our members, their families, and our communities," Peter McLaughlin, chair of the union bargaining committee and business manager of IBEW Local 2327 in Maine, said in a statement. "Our members remained united and committed to this fight for more than four months and today we have a fair deal that will bring them back to work and good service back to our communities."

Advertisement

Federal mediators met with the unions and representatives from FairPoint for six weeks in Washington, DC.

Details of the contract include a union-run health insurance plan and the inability of the company to outsource jobs except in extreme situations, union officials said.

"This agreement is a win for our members and for future FairPoint employees," Don Trementozzi, president of CWA Local 1400, said in a statement. "We went on strike last October because we are committed to keeping good, middle-class jobs in New England. Our members walked the lines for more than four months, not just for themselves, but for future generations. Our success will benefit FairPoint workers—and New England's working families—for years to come."

"We are glad that the unions have ratified these agreements that provide excellent pay and benefits while allowing FairPoint to rationalize its employee costs to position the company to compete and serve the customers and communities of northern New England,” Paul Sunu, Fairpoint's CEO, said in a statement. “These agreements also allow our 1,700 union-represented employees to return to work and focus on our collective goal of serving our customers with excellence. While the negotiations were often challenging, congratulations are in order for both negotiating teams for forging what appears to be win-win agreements. I would also like to thank the numerous public officials for their guidance and support, publicly and privately, that helped lead to these agreements.”

About 1,700 FairPoint workers in Northern New England went on strike on Oct. 17. The new contracts will be in effect until Aug. 4, 2018.